strain

noun

the act of singing

an intense or violent exertion

an effortful attempt to attain a goal

the general meaning or substance of an utterance

injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse)

(biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups

a special variety of domesticated animals within a species

(psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress

a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension

(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces

verb

alter the shape of (something) by stress

rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender

remove by passing through a filter

become stretched or tense or taut

cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious

separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements

use to the utmost

test the limits of

to exert much effort or energy

Roots

stringerestrain- · Latin · draw tight

Synonyms for strain

stressn overstrainn tenseadj tensionn sprainn overexertionn overstressv tensenessn overexertv sieven breedv burdenn

Synonyms & related words for strain

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of strain — including stress, overstrain, tense, tension, sprain, overexertion. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to strain

Explore words related to strain — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include interstrain, outstrain, straint, overracked, pains, anelastic, epitonic, taseometer. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for strain

Common synonyms for strain include stress, overstrain, tense, tension, sprain, overexertion, overstress, tenseness — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does strain come from?

The word strain breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root strain-, from Latin stringere (“draw tight”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.